Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 - Review

The thrilling conclusion to a phenomenal cinematic story 10 years in the telling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 is proof that authentic movie excitement is its own form of magic. Half the spell-casting formula lies in what the audience itself brings to the eighth and final movie made from J.K. Rowling's culture-shaping literary epic: namely, its fondness for and fascination with every one of Rowling's characters, down to the last goblin, Death Eater, and professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. (The sight of intrepid Maggie Smith as unsinkable Professor Minerva McGonagall is an occasion for unchecked delight; and look, there's indispensable David Bradley again as cranky caretaker Argus Filch!) The potent second half of Harry's spell, meanwhile, consists of the artistic self-confidence and complexity with which the movies themselves have grown and deepened over the years. Raised to maturity under the well-tempered direction of David Yates and the wise screenwriting of Steve Kloves, the saga culminates in a finale as satisfying and emotionally intense — frightening, sad, and ultimately comforting — as it is visually grand. This is an ending suitable for The End. Read More...